HAIKOU, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China's national rail-ferry network has been extended to the country's southernmost city of Sanya, on the island of Hainan.

    Sanya's inclusion comes after the completion of a 364-kilometer rail link with Haikou, capital of Hainan Province.

    The service would start on April 18, allowing trains to travel at up to 160 kilometers per hour, almost double the previous speed, said Wen Jianru, vice general manger of Yuehai Railway Corporation, which built the line.

    Starting in Sanya, the service would run through nine cities or counties before linking with the ferry to the mainland. Passengers could travel to major mainland cities without transferring, said Wen.

    The maiden trips would be to Guangzhou, scheduled to take 15 hours, and Shanghai, taking 36.5 hours. The service to Beijing would begin on April 19 and take 35 hours.

    The renovation of the rail link to Sanya, begun in June last year, cost 2.3 billion yuan funded by the provincial government and the Ministry of Railways.

    The new service is expected to carry up to 10 million tons of freight a year.